The present invention refers to a lighting device of the suspended type, comprising a lighting element powered at very low voltage.

In the lighting sector the use of lighting systems formed of a plurality of lights is known, fixed to the ceiling or between two facing walls by means of a pair of elongate supporting elements, typically a tube or a wire, such as described, for example, in the German utility model DE 29520647.

In said lights, each wire conductor is housed in a rigid tubular body and supplies the lights at pre-defined positions along said bodies.

The use of said solution in large-size lighting devices, in particular with considerable longitudinal extension, is not very practical in terms of production and installation of the product.

In addition, said lights are produced so as to extend in a pre-defined direction: in order to light two adjacent walls inclined with respect to each other, two separate lights have to be used.

An alternative system, formed of one single elongate element, is described in the German utility model DE 20005055, which describes the use of one single flexible tubular body inside which the conductor wires are arranged which provide the electrical power supply to a plurality of lamp holder bodies arranged in a longitudinal series along the tubular body.

The lamp holder bodies can then be fixed to the wall or the ceiling in a predefined position, thus allowing the formation of a series of light points arranged longitudinally at pre-defined distances.

Although said solution is certainly more flexible than the previous one, it entails greater installation complexity as each lamp holder body has to be fixed to the wall or ceiling. Furthermore, in order to modify the position of the lamp holder bodies, the electrical connection with the conductor wires must be re-done, hence it is labour-intensive.

A further known solution consists of a pair of wire conductors which are fixed and stretched between two opposite walls. The wire conductors support and supply a plurality of lighting bodies positioned between them at pre-defined distances. Also in this case, the installation phase is fairly complex, as the conductors have to be stretched between the two walls and, furthermore, the solution is not flexible due to the fixed position of the lighting bodies. Furthermore, it is obvious that said solution cannot be used for linear lighting extending in any direction, as in the case of two inclined walls, requiring installation between two facing walls.

Lastly, in general, the known solutions are not aesthetically attractive, since they require fairly cumbersome fixing structures with complicated design.

Therefore, the technical problem underlying the present invention is that of providing a lighting device that overcomes the drawbacks mentioned above with reference to the known art.

Said problem is solved by the lighting device according to claim 1.

The present invention has some important advantages. The main advantage consists in the fact that the device according †o the present invention is particularly simple and flexible to install, as it can be applied either to a wall or a ceiling, according to any linear development.

In addition, it allows for the use of lighting elements in any position, without requiring complex electrical connections with the conductors. Lastly, the device according to the present invention provides a particularly attractive simple solution in aesthetic terms.

Further advantages, characteristics and the procedures for use of the present invention will be evident from the following detailed description of some embodiments, presented as non-limiting examples. Reference will be made†o the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which:

- figure 1 is a perspective view of a lighting device according to the present invention fixed to the ceiling;

- figure 2 is a lateral view of the device according to the present invention, partially exploded;

- figure 3 is a plan view of a hollow conductive body, detail of the lighting device of figure 1 ;

- figure 4 is a view, partially in section, of a lamp holder body, detail of the lighting device of figure 1 ; - figure 5 is an overhead view of fixing means of the lamp holder body of figure 4; and

- figure 6 is a schematic illustration which illustrates the use of a flexible coupling element in the lighting device according to the present invention.

With reference initially to figure 1 , a lighting device of the suspended type is indicated overall by the reference number 100.

The device 100 comprises means of support 5 from the ceiling, as in the present embodiment example, and/or from a wall. Said supporting means 5 can be formed for example of elongate rods 51 fixed to the ceiling or to the wall via inserts or other known fixing systems.

The lighting device 100 comprises a substantially rigid hollow conductive body 1 of elongate shape connected to the supporting means 5 so as to remain suspended. In the present embodiment example, the hollow conductive body 1 has a tubular cylindrical form and, at one end of the elongate rods 51 opposite the ceiling, a pierced plate 52 is provided; the hollow conductive body 1 is inserted in a sliding manner through the hole of said plate. It should be noted that the hollow body 1 can also have cross sections of different shape, for example square, and the plate 52 may consequently have different characteristics.

The hollow conductive body 1 is connected electrically to a first phase, preferably negative, of a direct current source at very low voltage which, as will be seen in greater detail below, powers at least one lighting element 4 of the device 100.

It should be noted that' the term very low voltage refers to those voltage values, established and defined by the international standards, such as not to constitute danger of electrocution. Consequently, the hollow conductive body 1 does not require any type of insulation, resulting in greater construction simplicity and improved appearance compared to solutions that require the presence of an insulating material - typically plastic - outside the conductor.

By way of example, the lighting element 4 can be of the LED type.

Inside the hollow conductive body 1 a wire conductor 2 is inserted, illustrated in figures 2 and 3, electrically insulated by means of an external insulating sheath.

Said conductor 2 can therefore be made of conventional type electrical cable. Furthermore, the conductive body 1 is provided with a plurality of apertures 1 1 which make the conductor 2 accessible from the outside and, as will be seen more clearly below, define seats for connection means 30 of a lamp holder body 3 of the lighting elements 4.

The wire conductor 2 is connected electrically to a second phase of the electrical source for supply of the lighting elements 4 and, as illustrated below, to the second phase of the latter.

It should therefore be observed that the voltage necessary for supplying the device 100 is transmitted from the electrical source to the lamp holder bodies 3 of the lighting elements 4 by means of the conductive body 1 and the wire conductor 2 arranged inside it. The insulating sheath of the conductor 2 therefore permits insulation between the two phases.

With reference to figures 2 and 4, the lamp holder body 3 is formed of the above- mentioned connection means 30 to the hollow conductive body 1 and a stem 310, connected in a revolving manner to the connection means 30 which support a main portion 31 1 , provided with fins 312, which houses the lighting elements 4 and, if necessary, the electronic components necessary for their functioning.

Preferably the main portion 31 1 is hinged to the stem 310, so as to permit a rotation around an axis perpendicular with respect to the axis of rotation of the stem 310. Said solution allows complete adjustability of the light beam generated by the lighting elements 4.

The connection means ^' 30 comprise a conducting portion 31 and an insulating portion 32, each provided with a respective semi-cylindrical seat 39, with dimensions complementary to the hollow conductive body 1. Here again it is obvious that, in the case of a conductive body 1 of different form, the semi-seats 39 will be shaped accordingly. In this way it will be possible to position the conductive body 1 between the two portions 31 and 32 at the respective seats 39, thus creating a connection between the lamp holder body 3 and the conductive body 1 . In this regard tightening means of the insulating portion 32 and conductive portion 31 are provided, for example by means of a through hole 37' on the insulating portion 33, a threaded hole 37 on the conductive portion 31 and a screw 38 housed with play in the through hole 37' and tightened in the threaded hole 37.

It should be noted, furthermore, that the portion 31 is connected electrically to the lighting element 4, so as to provide the latter with the phase associated with the conductive body 1 .

According to a preferred embodiment the stem 310 and the main portion 31 1 can be made of conductive electric material and, in this way, simplify the electrical connection between the conductive portion 31 and the lighting element 4. It is obvious that the electrical connection between the conductive portion 31 and the lighting element 4 can be provided also by means of other systems, not described as they are within the capabilities of a person skilled in the art.

With reference to figure 4, the lamp holder body 3 furthermore comprises a conductive pin 32, which can be inserted in a seat 34' provided in the insulating portion 33.

The seat 34' is arranged so that if communicates with the aperture 1 1 when the lamp holder body 3 is fixed to the hollow body 1 at the aperture 1 1 .

In this way, the pin 32 can be pushed, via pushing means 6, inside the aperture 1 1 so that it comes into contact with the wire conductor 2 at one end 32'.

It is obvious that at fhe point of contact with the pin 32, the wire conductor 2 must be without the insulating sheath in order to make the electrical connection.

Advantageously, fhe pin 32 can have a pointed end 32', so as to pierce fhe insulating sheath when pushed by the pushing means 6 and make the required electrical connection.

The pushing means comprise a grub screw 6 which engages in a respective threaded hole 61 facing fhe seat 34' in which the pin 32 is housed. When the grub screw 6 is screwed into the hole 61 , it comes info contact with fhe head 32" of fhe pin 32, pushing if so as to bring the end 32' inside fhe hollow body 1 , until it pierces fhe insulating sheath and comes info contact with the conductor 2. Preferably, fhe threaded hole 61 has a larger diameter than the seat 34', so that the pin 32 can be inserted in the seat 34' through fhe hole 61 . The pin 32 is also in contact with a further electrical conductor 22, in particular at the head 32", in turn connected electrically to the lighting element 4. In this way also the second phase generated by the electrical source can be conveyed to the lighting element 4, thus providing the electrical supply.

In further detail, the electrical connection with the pin is provided by means of a conductor ring 22' positioned at the entrance of the seat 34' and connected to the further electrical conductor 22. Furthermore, the conductor 22 is also provided with an insulating sheath, which passes through a conduit 35 and a cavity 36 in the insulating portion 33 and in the conductive portion 31 respectively, until it reaches the main portion 31 1 passing inside the stem 310.

As illustrated in figure 5, the cavity 36 is a lateral extension of the semi-cylindrical seat 39 of the conductive portion 31 , in which the conductor 22 can be housed when the conductive body 1 is in the seat 39. This avoids the risk of pinching of the conductor 22.

With reference again to figure 4, the device according to the present invention furthermore comprises means for coupling between the lamp holder body 3 and the hollow conductive body 1 which allow positioning of the lamp holder body 3 at the level of a series of pre-defined positions on the conductive body 1 , in particular defined by the apertures 1 1 . In further detail, the positioning is obtained by a shape coupling between the aperture 1 1 and a shell 34 which defines the seat 34' for the pin 32. More specifically, the shell 34 is inserted in the insulating portion 33 so that it projects from it and can penetrate partially inside the aperture 1 1 when the lamp holder body 3 is connected, but without pressing on the conductor 2.

The pushing means 6 therefore push the pin 32 inside the shell 34 so that the end of the pin 32 projects farther into the hollow conductive body 1 than the shell 34. This characteristic therefore allows both the connection means 30 and the coupling means of the lamp holder body 4 to be obtained by means of the same components.

It is therefore obvious that the lighting device 100 provides a solution to the problems identified with reference†o the present invention, thanks to the simplicity of installation of the connection means 30 which allow quick simple positioning and relative electrical connection.

In addition, the use of the hollow body 1 and the conductor 2 coaxial with it minimises the overall dimensions and installation difficulties of the components for supplying the lighting elements 4.

Said solution allows for longitudinal development of the device not only along a single wall but also along adjacent walls inclined with respect to each other. As illustrated in figure 6, a flexible coupling element 7 can be used, also having conductive characteristics, which couples and electrically connects two separate elongate conductive bodies 1 .